The use of fatty esters, alone and in combinations, in pharmaceutical formulations is known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,381 to Steber et al discusses microspheres made from mixtures of active agents with optional surfactants and fat, wax or mixtures thereof. Glyceryl stearate is shown at column 3, lines 10-11. Polyoxyethylene (23) stearate is mentioned at column 6, line 45. The ingredients can be processed into microspheres via melt blending and cooling, e.g., using a centrifugal disc (see column 5, lines 32+).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,634 to Speiser shows monopellets containing melt-blended combinations of lipids and surfactants. Glyceryl stearate esters and GELUCIRE are disclosed at column 4.U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,533 to Santus deals with the melt blending of drugs with glycerides (col. 5, line 46) and GELUCIRES (col. 5, line 24), followed by granulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,753 to Blichare et al deals with sustained release granules made by exposing a mixture of powdered active agents with particles of a wax-like material to radiation heating. Glyceryl monostearate is recited at column 3, line 14.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,777 to Breitzke refers to suppositioning bases made by melt blending fats and emulsifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,695 to Hobbs et al describes a free flowing powder made by blending a low viscosity mixture of vitamin E compound with a fatty acid ester and then spraying the blend.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,645 to Shukla et al shows the preparation of granules containing drugs, waxes and polymeric wax modifiers by melt processing.